At Last: Time for the Supreme Court to Uphold the Freedom of the People to Uphold Natural Marriage

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins released the following statement after the announcement this afternoon by the U.S. Supreme Court that it would hear an appeal of a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. This ruling upheld the freedom of voters to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Commenting, Perkins said:

"The U.S. Supreme Court now has the opportunity to issue a long-overdue ruling to restore the freedom of the people to uphold marriage in their state laws as the union of a man and a woman. Lower court judges have robbed millions of people of their voice and vote on society’s most fundamental relationship – marriage.

“There is nothing in the Constitution that empowers the courts to silence the people and impose a nationwide redefinition of marriage.

“Voters in thirty states have adopted, by referendum, state constitutional amendments to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. In exercising their right to vote, they sent a message that that they want to see society rebuild and strengthen marriage – not have it redefined by unelected judges. At present, courts have overturned the peoples’ votes on marriage in 20 states. This is unacceptable in a nation that prides itself on being a place where the people rule.

“The union between one man and one woman will continue to be uniquely important to society because it is timeless and universal. This is a discussion that now has made its way to the nation’s highest court, whose ruling will speak loudly to whether self-government still matters in a country claiming that ‘We, the People’ rule,” concluded Perkins.